Ultra Scotland 100

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 303m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 76.1km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–57.4km · Descent of 303m averaging 7%, climb of 369m, high point 708m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 57.4km–93.3km · Descent of 336m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 93.3km–159km · Climb of 527m. Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 159km–165km · 6.1km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 4500m+. With 28m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 28% downhill and 39% flat. The longest climb runs 5.9km at an average 8.9% grade (527m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.2km at an average 7.2% grade (303m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 29.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 35.5% over 0.2km. Surface: 39% smooth, 37% trail, and 23% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 203.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Croft Head (637m), 99.5km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Cold Moss (628m). The course also passes close to Lowther Hill (725m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 7.6km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 49 of 100), with 55% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 76.1km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 35.9–40.0 km · 303 m D−, -7.3% · 125.0 km ahead → control
• #2 · 72.0–76.1 km · 336 m D−, -8.1% · 88.9 km ahead → control
• 139.2–142.6 km · 267 m D−, -7.7% · 22.5 km ahead → your pace
• 155.9–159.0 km · 319 m D−, -10.1% · 6.1 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 15°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 54%.

Results

174 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Aaron Partridge (Great Britain) in 20:08:00. Women's winner: Heather Young (Great Britain) in 26:25:50.